First Corinthians:

[Rob Morgan]

First Corinthians:

Through the missionary efforts of Paul and others, the church has been established in Corinth, but Paul finds it very difficult to keep Corinth out of the church. The pagan life-style of Corinth exerts a profound Influence upon the Christians in that corrupt city - problems of every kind plague them. In this Disciplinary letter, Paul is forced to exercise his apostolic authority as he deals firmly with problems of Divisiveness, immorality, lawsuits, selfishness, abuses of the Lord's Supper and spiritual gifts, and denials Of the Resurrection. This epistle is quite orderly in its approach as it sequentially addresses a group of Problems that have come to Paul’s attention. Paul also gives a series of perspectives on various Questions and issues roused by the Corinthians in a letter. He uses the introductory phrase "Now concerning" or "Now..." to delineate those topics (7:1, 25; 8: I; I 1:2; 12: l; 16:’l). The three divisions o{ First Corinthians are: (1) Answer to Chloe's reproof of divisions l-4; (2) answer to report of fornication (5-6); and (3) answer to letter of questions (7-16).

Answer Chloe's Report of Divisions (1-4): Personality cults centering around Paul, Apollo’s, and Peter have led to divisions and false pride among the Corinthians (1). lt is not their wisdom or cleverness that has brought them to Christ, because divine wisdom is contrary to human wisdom. The truth of the gospel is spiritually apprehended (2). Factions that exist among the saints at Corinth are indications of their spiritual immature (3). They should pride themselves in Christ, not in human leaders who are merely His servants (4).

Answer of Report of Fornication (5-6): The next problem Paul addresses is that of incest between a member of the church and his stepmother (5). The Corinthian have exercised no church discipline in this matter, and Paul orders them to remove the offender from their fellowship until he repents. Another source of poor testimony is the legal action of believer against believer in civil courts (6:1-8). They must learn to arbitrate their differences within the Christian community. Paul concludes this section with o warning against immorality in general (6:9-20).

Answer letter of Questions (7-16): in these chapters the apostle Paul gives authoritative answers to thorny questions raised by the Corinthians. His first counsel concerns the issues of marriage, celibacy, divorce, and remarriage (7). The next three chapters are related to the problem of meat offered to idols (8: 1 - 1 1: 1). Paul illustrates from his own life the twin principles of Christian liberty and the law of love, and he concludes that believers must sometimes limit their liberty for the sake of weaker brothers (cf. Rom. 14). The apostle then turns to matters concerning public worship, including improper observance of the Lord's Supper and the selfish use of spiritual gifts (1 1:2-14:40). Gifts are to be exercised in love for the edification of the whole body. The Corinthian also have problems with the Resurrection, which Paul seeks to connect (15). His historical and theological defense of the Resurrection includes teaching on the nature of the resurrection body. The Corinthian probably have been struggling over this issue because the idea of a resurrected body is disdainful in Greek thought. The epistle closes with Paul’s instruction for the collection he will make for the saints in Jerusalem (16:1- 4), followed by miscellaneous exhortations and greetings (16:5-24).